Armed Forces: Vehicles

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-combat vehicles are rented by each of the armed services.

Peter Luff: The UK White Fleet contract accounts for approximately 90% of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) short-term hires made in the UK. The breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  Top level budget  Total number hires FY 2009-10 
			 Air Command 19,960 
			 Chief Joint Operations 5,413 
			 Defence Equipment & Support 50,534 
			 Defence Estates 6,224 
			 Land Forces 85,033 
			 Navy Command 26,075 
			 The Central TLB 25,769 
			 Trading Funds 295 
			 Total 219,302 
		
	
	The number of short-term hires through the British Forces Germany White Fleet contract was 17,527. In addition, short-term overseas hires booked through MOD's Defence Travel Cell for the financial year 2009-10 amounted to 4,787.
	It is not possible to breakdown the numbers of short term hires on a per service basis, as bookings are made using civilian titles for security reasons.
	Hires through Government Procurement Cards, MOD agencies such as the Defence Support Group, Met Office and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and overseas dependencies fall outside the scope of White Fleet contracts and have separate local arrangements. These details are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Wildlife: Crime

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will establish  (a) a telephone line and  (b) an email system for reporting of suspicious trade in animals and animal products by internet users;
	(2)  if she will initiate a campaign to raise the level of awareness of internet users of the regulation of trade in animals and animal products; and what steps she is taking to assist internet users to report suspicious trade;
	(3)  if she will bring forward proposals to increase the level of regulation of the internet wildlife trade.

Richard Benyon: Regulations are in place which make it an offence to display or offer for sale the most endangered species via any medium, including the internet. Nevertheless, the UK is working with the international community, and chairs a convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) e-commerce group, to assess the best means of reducing or tackling such offences. As part of this process DEFRA will be considering introducing a code of conduct for internet operators to raise awareness of the legal situation, and in doing so take account of the experiences of other countries in drawing up such a code, including the means and merits of a reporting element.
	Animal Health's wildlife licensing and registration service (WLRS) already has systems in place for the reporting of suspected illegal trade in CITES listed species and their parts and derivatives, including a telephone number and e-mail address. Suspected illegal trade in CITES and non-CITES listed species can also be reported to the police, or in the case of imports and exports to the HM Revenue and Customs confidential hot-line (which is shared with the UK Border Agency).

Video Games

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what correspondence he had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on  (a) budgetary matters and  (b) Government support for the computer and video games industry in advance of the Budget.

Michael Moore: There has been no formal exchange of correspondence with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the computer and video games industry but I and my officials had discussions with Treasury counterparts on a range of issues ahead of the Budget.
	I will speak with both the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and representatives from the industry in the near future, to discuss how the cuts to corporation tax to 24%, the rise to the employer national insurance threshold and other measures, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his emergency Budget, will stimulate further growth and expansion of this sector.

Video Games

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings  (a) he and  (b) officials in his Department had with their Treasury counterparts to discuss (i) the Budget and (ii) support for the computer and video games industry before the Budget Statement of 22 June 2010.

Michael Moore: There was no specific meeting about the computer and video games industry. However, I and my officials held discussions with Treasury counterparts on a range of issues ahead of the Budget.
	I will speak with both the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and representatives from the industry in the near future, to discuss how the cuts to corporation tax to 24%, the rise to the employer national insurance threshold and other measures, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his emergency Budget, will stimulate further growth and expansion of this sector.

Wind Power: Yorkshire and the Humber

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many wind farms have been built in each constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Government do not hold information on renewable energy schemes by parliamentary constituency. The number of onshore wind farms, not including sites with less than two turbines, and not including sites with turbines under 10 kW, built in each district in Yorkshire and Humber in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  District  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Calderdale 1 - - - - 
			 City of Leeds - - - - - 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire - - - 2 1 
			 Harrogate - - - 1 - 
			 Kirklees - 1 - - 1 
			 North Lincolnshire - - - - 1 
			 Rotherham - - - - 1 
		
	
	The Government are committed to the development of wind energy in the UK. As an island nation we have outstanding wind resources and wind energy is an indigenous source of energy which is needed to meet our renewable energy and climate change goals. The wind industry can be a key player in creating the investment, exports and jobs we need to bring back economic prosperity, and the UK is already a world leader in offshore wind.
	We also want communities and individuals to benefit from the increase in renewable energy, including wind power, and to own a stake in our collective low carbon future.
	This is why we committed in the Coalition programme for government to encouraging more community-owned renewable energy and allowing communities that host renewable energy projects to keep the additional business rates they generate.

Departmental Speeches

Angela Smith: To ask the Attorney-General which  (a) (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers in the Law Officers' Departments and  (b) other individuals are employed to write speeches for each Minister in those Departments.

Edward Garnier: None of the Law Officers Departments employ a specialised speech-writer. Speeches when required are prepared by departmental staff in addition to their other duties.
	The Attorney-General's Office does not employ any special advisers.

Official Residences

Pete Wishart: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what  (a) refurbishment and  (b) redecoration has been undertaken of residential properties in the gift of the Government since 6 May 2010; and at what cost;
	(2)  what residential properties in the gift of the Government have been allocated to Ministers; which Minister has been allocated each accommodation; and which grave and favour properties will remain empty.

David Cameron: I currently have the use of the flat above No. 10 Downing street but will be moving in to the residence above No. 11 Downing street when it has been refurbished. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne) will have use of the flat above No. 10 Downing street from the summer. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary (Mr Hague) has been allocated the use of the residence at No. 1 Carlton Gardens. The flats at Admiralty House are currently unoccupied.
	For costs for the refurbishment of the No. 11 Downing street flat I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by official spokesman on 24 May 2010. A copy of the transcript is available on the Number 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-briefings/2010/05/morning-press-briefing-from-monday-24-may-2010-50550
	No refurbishment or redecoration has taken place in the flat above No. 10 Downing street or the flats at Admiralty House. Costs associated with 1 Carlton Gardens are a matter for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Camelot Group

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will undertake an assessment of potential effects on levels of gambling of Camelot offering bill payment services through national lottery terminals.

John Penrose: The decision on whether to allow Camelot the national lottery operator to undertake any ancillary activity, including offering bill payment and mobile telephone top up facilities through national lottery terminals, is one for the National Lottery Commission (NLC).
	The NLC is currently considering responses to its public consultation on the proposal from Camelot to offer commercial services. As part of their considerations, the NLC will take into account the potential effect on players.

Camelot Group

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will estimate the number of lottery transactions required to be made to meet the projections in Camelot's proposal to contribute to good causes from lottery receipts; and if he will assess the effect of any resultant increase in transactions on the lottery  (a) playing and  (b) bill payment services at peak times.

John Penrose: The projections set out by Camelot in their proposal to offer bill payments and mobile top-ups do not include any uplift in national lottery sales. The higher contributions to good causes projected are based only on the expected bill payment and mobile top-up transactions.
	The National Lottery Commission is considering as part of its assessment of Camelot's proposals to enter the bill payment and mobile top-up market, what the potential impact is on the core business of the national lottery. If the Commission were to give consent to Camelot's proposals, it would ensure that appropriate monitoring measures are in place to assess the effect of commercial services on ticket sales.

Copyright: Music

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on extending the copyright term for music recordings; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: Baroness Wilcox, the Minister for Intellectual Property in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and I have both received representations from the music industry (UK Music, BPI and PPL) on a number of occasions recently about progress in securing an agreement in Europe on this issue.
	The Government have confirmed their support for this proposal, but it has not so far received the necessary support at EU level which would be required for it to become law.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the estimated gross construction cost is of  (a) the 11 apartment blocks in the Olympic Village and  (b) the Olympic Village.

Hugh Robertson: The gross cost for construction of the residential blocks of the Olympic village is currently estimated at £1,008 million as at 31 March 2010, including ground-floor retail units, underground parking, landscaping, games-time overlay (such as additional partitions and bathrooms) and post-games transformation costs.
	The gross construction cost of the entire Olympic village is currently estimated at £1,090 million, including the community projects of the Chobham Academy, a polyclinic and multi-storey car park.
	The forecast public sector funding contribution by the ODA towards the overall cost of the village (including sales and marketing costs which are not included in the figures above) is £687 million, as set out in the most recent quarterly economic report published in May 2010.

Olympic Games 2012: Dartford

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many businesses located in Dartford constituency have been awarded contracts for work on London 2012 Olympics projects.

Hugh Robertson: Information on businesses, registered in the Dartford constituency, that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where my hon. Friend will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	www.london2012.com/business

Olympic Games 2012: East Midlands

Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the net financial effect on the east midlands of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: I have not made a specific estimate of the net financial effect, from the 2012 games, on the east midlands. However, the east midlands stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations.
	Information on businesses in the east midlands that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where you will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	www.london2012.com/business

Olympic Games 2012: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many residents of  (a) St Albans and  (b) Hertfordshire are employed (i) by the London Organisational Committee of the Olympic Games, (ii) by the Olympic Delivery Authority and (iii) at the London 2012 Olympics site; what steps his Department is taking to increase employment opportunities created by the hosting of the London 2012 Olympics; and how many jobs in Hertfordshire he expects to be created by the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG) is a private company and so does not report its staff figures to my Department. Its annual report, which includes information about the numbers of staff it employs, is available at:
	www.london2012.com
	As at May 2010 the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) had 218 directly employed members of staff, of which one resided in St Albans and five in Hertfordshire.
	The ODA publishes information on the Olympic park contractor workforce in its quarterly "Jobs, Futures, Skills" newsletter. This provides a breakdown of the work force resident in the host boroughs, London, and outside of London. The latest publication shows that at the end of March 2010 of a work force of 6,442, 41% reside outside of London. It is unable to provide a breakdown for local level outside of the host boroughs.
	The ODA forecasts that 30,000 people will work on the Olympic park and village over the life of the construction programme. LOCOG estimates that during games-time it will require a work force of approximately 6,000 paid staff, up to 70,000 volunteers and 100,000 contracted staff. There has been no specific assessment of the numbers that will be employed from Hertfordshire.
	The ODA and its partners have put a range of measures in place to help local people in particular access training and employment opportunities on the site. These include investing in training and apprenticeship opportunities. Vacancies are offered exclusively to the host borough employment brokerages and Jobcentre Plus offices in the area for a period of 48 hours. Vacancies unfilled after this time are advertised across London for a further 24 hours and after this are made available across the UK through the national Jobcentre Plus network. LOCOG will publish its employment and skills strategy later this year.

A3

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projection he has made of the traffic levels on the A3 between Liphook and Petersfield following the opening of the Hindhead Tunnel; and what those traffic levels were on that stretch of road in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: It is forecast that traffic levels on the A3 between Liphook and Petersfield following the opening of the Hindhead tunnel will be around 38,000 vehicles per average day.
	By comparison the flow on the A3 in the five years between 2004 and 2009 remained consistent at 35,000 vehicles per average day.
	The A3 Hindhead scheme, including a 1.2 mile tunnel under the Devils Punchbowl Site of Special Scientific Interest, started construction in January 2007 and is planned to open in early July 2011.
	The section of A3 for which traffic flows have been requested lies to the south of the scheme.
	The increase in traffic on scheme opening is largely due to drivers returning to the A3 from other routes used to avoid the congestion at the A3/A287 traffic lights in Hindhead.
	The forecast includes a relatively small amount of traffic generated as a result of the journey time improvement and reliability delivered by the scheme. The reason this aspect of the increase is small, is due to network constraints through Guildford and at M25 J10.

Departmental Official Cars

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what conditions apply to former Ministers with official cars using them to attend party political events;
	(2)  what the cost has been of providing official government cars to former Ministers since the general election.

Michael Penning: The use of official cars by former Ministers is exceptional and on the advice of the security authorities. Use of official cars by former Ministers continues to be governed by the principles set out in Section 10 of the Ministerial Code.
	In line with successive administrations, the Government do not comment on security issues.

Large Goods Vehicles: A1

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the merits of prohibiting heavy goods vehicles from travelling in the outside lane on the stretches of the A1 where the road is a dual carriageway.

Michael Penning: holding answer 6 July 2010
	The Highways Agency does consider and, following successful trials, has implemented restrictions on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) using the overtaking lanes on motorways and trunk roads to ease congestion. Examples of this are on the M42 between J10 and 11, and the A14 in Northamptonshire.
	Similarly, in May 2010 the Highways Agency made permanent restrictions on two sections on the A1(M) southbound in County Durham at junction 63 to north of junction 62 at Lumley Road Bridge, Great Lumley and at junction 61 north of Coxhoe to north of junction 60 at Bishop Middleham. At these sections HGVs are restricted from using lane 2 (the right hand lane in the direction of travel) between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm, seven days a week.
	The agency has also considered introducing overtaking restrictions for HGVs on other sections of the A1, including A1 south of the A57 at Markham Moor; A1 south of Grantham; A1 south of Stamford (between the A6121 and Carpenter's Lodge Roundabout); A1 junction 49 (junction of A1/A168) to start of A1(M) at junction 56; end of A1(M) at junction 65 to A1/A697 junction; B6345 overbridge at Felton, Northumberland to approximately one mile north of B1340 overbridge at Denwick, Northumberland; and the dual carriageway section near North Charlton, Northumberland. However, analysis has shown there to be either insufficient justification or an adverse impact on safety for traffic emerging from side roads at these locations thus discounting the introduction of HGV overtaking restrictions.
	When considering whether to prohibit heavy goods vehicles from lane 2 on the A1 dual carriageway the Highways Agency considers whether:
	there is insufficient HGV traffic volume;
	there are frequent at-grade junctions that break the flow of HGVs naturally;
	the topography of the area is fairly flat;
	the gradient is only for short lengths.

Motorways: Closures

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to inform motorists who are not in the immediate vicinity of motorway closures that closures are taking place; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: holding answer 22 June 2010
	The Highways Agency already takes a variety of steps to inform motorists about both closures and other events that might have an impact on their journey on the motorway and trunk road network.
	For drivers who have already embarked on their journey, variable message signs (VMS) are used to inform them of any problems ahead. These can be used both in the immediate vicinity of the closure, to give drivers useful advice and information, and at a more strategic level, to suggest alternative routes that will take road users around the closure, and thus prevent them from excessive delays.
	Where closures are planned as part of major works, advanced warning signs are used at the roadside to inform drivers, giving them the opportunity to plan their travel more effectively.
	In addition to VMS, information relating to road conditions on the Highways Agency's network can be sought through a variety of media channels prior to starting any journey. Such channels include the Traffic England website, accessible at:
	www.highways.gov.uk/traffic
	a Highways Agency iPhone app, Traffic Radio (available on DAB) and various telephone lines. Finally, the Highways Agency's National Traffic Control Centre passes information on a continuous basis to media partners who use this in travel bulletins on TV and radio.

Railways: Scotland

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Scottish Executive Ministers on funding from his Department's Railways for All Fund for improvements for access to railway stations in Scotland; and how much funding for such improvements will be provided in 2010-11.

Theresa Villiers: We have not discussed Railways for All funding with Scottish Executive Ministers, but officials meet regularly to discuss the programme. £390,000 has been allocated to Transport Scotland from the Department for Transport's Access for All Fund for Small Schemes in 2010-11. A decision on any further spending will be made once the comprehensive spending review has been carried out.
	In addition, 13 stations in Scotland are receiving accessible step free routes under the main Access for All Fund which is delivered by Network Rail and funded by addition to the Regulatory Asset Base.

Railways: Standards

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the figures for  (a) punctuality and reliability and  (b) passengers in excess numbers were for rail services on the St Albans to London route in each month since November 2009.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold disaggregated performance data for St Albans to London. However the following table shows the public performance measure (PPM) for all First Capital Connect services since November 2009. The Period PPM column shows performance in the period itself, while the PPM MAA column shows the moving annual average for the previous 12 months. PPM combines figures for punctuality and reliability into a single performance measure.
	
		
			  % 
			  Period  Period PPM  PPM MAA 
			 15 November to 12 December 2009 85.8 90.7 
			 13 December to 9 January 2010 73.0 89.5 
			 10 January to 6 February 2010 85.0 88.9 
			 7 February to 6 March 2010 88.4 89.5 
			 7 March to 31 March 2010 92.6 89.4 
			 1 April to 1 May 2010 93.0 89.5 
			 2 May to 29 May 2010 93.7 89.6 
			 30 May to 26 June 2010 90.4 89.3 
		
	
	Information relating to passengers in excess numbers for rail services on the St Albans to London route is not measured on the basis sought and is therefore not available. The information requested is currently published annually in aggregated form by the Office for Rail Regulation within its 'National Rail Trends Yearbook'. The latest published data relates to passenger journeys in 2008-09. Chapter 7 of the latest update of 'National Rail Trends' contains this data and is available on the Office of Rail Regulation website at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.2026

Bowel Cancer: Screening

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the average cost of issuing a bowel cancer screening test;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the average cost of issuing and analysing a returned bowel cancer screening test in England;
	(3)  how many people were diagnosed with bowel cancer as a direct result of taking part in the bowel cancer screening programme in each year since the implementation of that programme;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the cost of the bowel cancer screening programme in each year since 2006;
	(5)  how many bowel cancer screening invitations were issued in each year since 2006;
	(6)  what criteria were used to determine the age of 60 as the threshold for the bowel cancer screening programme in England.

Paul Burstow: The national health service bowel cancer screening programme in England began by inviting people aged 60 to 69 to be screened because over 80% of bowel cancers are diagnosed in those aged over 60. Although the pilot on which the programme was based invited people aged 50 to 69, those in their 60s were more likely to complete a testing kit. There was also insufficient endoscopy capacity at the time to invite a wider age range. This decision was informed by a formal options appraisal undertaken in 2004 by the School for Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at the University of Sheffield. The programme is currently being extended to people aged 70 to their 75th birthday, and the review of the Cancer Reform Strategy will consider how best we can extend screening to people in their 50s.
	The number of screening invitations issued in each year since 2006 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Invites issued 
			 2006 54,768 
			 2007 740,009 
			 2008 1,970,511 
			 2009 2,467,821 
			 2010 (up to April) 757,901 
		
	
	The number of cancers detected by the programme in each year since 2006 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Cancers detected 
			 2006 41 
			 2007 562 
			 2008 1,600 
			 2009 2,216 
			 2010 (up to April) 587 
		
	
	The cost of the programme in each year since 2006 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Funding (£ million) 
			 2006-07 10 
			 2007-08 27.5 
			 2008-09 55 
			 2009-10 76 
		
	
	Funding for the programme will rise to around £120 million per year once the age extension to people aged 70 to their 75th birthday is fully implemented.
	The average cost of issuing and analysing a bowel cancer testing kit is a local operational cost, which is not held centrally. The ScHARR 2004 options appraisal estimated that the cost of a faecal occult blood testing kit was £10 per person invited, comprising of the cost of two kits (to cover repeat tests and non-compliance), analysis of the kits and sending results letters. An additional £1.74 per person invited was estimated for administration costs.

Health Services: Greater Manchester

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the results of the review of the Greater Manchester Making It Better Programme.

Simon Burns: This is a matter for the local national health service and as such the information requested is not held centrally. Information on the cost of the Making it Better programme can be obtained from the Making it Better implementation team direct, through the North West Strategic Health Authority.

NHS: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an estimate of the number of occasions on which information relating to a patient has been requested by a doctor other than the doctor with whom the patient is registered in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: The Department does not this collect information centrally.

Nurses: Training

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake an investigation of the arrangements for training nurses for the purposes of raising the standard of nursing in NHS hospitals.

Anne Milton: The vast majority of our nurses provide excellent care, however ongoing education and training is vital to keeping standards high.
	The Department has been working with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to develop an explicit set of statements which will outline what good nursing care looks like. This work will be ready in the autumn and will apply to the entire nursing workforce, including health care assistants.
	We are determined to raise professional standards at every opportunity and to work with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the RCN to achieve this.
	The arrangement for the training of nurses is regularly reviewed.

Peterborough Primary Care Trust: Debts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the report by the East of England Strategic Health Authority on the deficit accumulated by NHS Peterborough in the financial year 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department has not commissioned a report on the deficit accumulated by Peterborough primary care trust. However, the East of England strategic health authority does report to the Department on a monthly basis on the financial position of its national health service trusts.

Prion Diseases: Health Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he next expects his Department's Prion Working Group to meet to discuss the  (a) progress of the Platelet Receptor Inhibition for Ischemic Syndrome Management trials and  (b) implementation of the P-Capt filter;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of progress of the Platelet Receptor Inhibition for Ischemic Syndrome Management trials and the P-Capt filter; and when he expects those trials to be completed.

Anne Milton: The Prion Working Group reports to the UK Blood Services not to the Department. The Working Group will next meet on 2 September 2010, and updates on the P-Capt filter and the prion filtered red cells in surgery and multi-transfused patients (PRISM) trial both likely to be on the agenda. This PRISM trial, which is designed to investigate adverse events, especially those related to the development of antibodies to red blood cells following transfusion of filtered red cells, is unrelated to the Platelet Receptor Inhibition for Ischemic Syndrome Management study otherwise known as PRISM-PLUS.
	The PRISM trial is expected to be completed by mid-2012. Animal studies of the efficacy of filters using a hamster model are due to be complete by mid-2012 and studies in sheep by mid-2014. The UK Health Department's independent expert Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs will review data from these studies as they become available.

Prion Diseases: Health Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to implement the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs for the introduction of prion filtration via the P-Capt Filter for blood destined for children born since 1 January 1996.

Anne Milton: The recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs on the use of prion filtration are under consideration by the Department.

Warfarin

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will consider the merits of making warfarin treatments available for free on the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people were prescribed warfarin in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of providing warfarin for free on the NHS.

Simon Burns: Information on the number of people receiving a medicine is not collected centrally. In 2009, around 8,234,900 prescription items for warfarin were dispensed in the community in England at a net ingredient cost to the national health service of around £18,608,200.(1)
	In addition, prescription charges paid at the point of dispensing for warfarin prescription items generated income of around £923,800(2) in 2009.
	Any decisions on future changes to the system of prescription charges and exemptions will be dependent on our future financial settlements.
	(1) Prescription Cost Analysis system.
	(2) NHS Prescription Services Information System. Excludes items dispensed to patients holding a pre-payment certificate.

Council Housing: Construction

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government plans to bring forward a third round of proposals for funding for new council homes.

Andrew Stunell: We have no plans to continue a funding programme exclusively for the provision of new council houses. Local authorities are however free to bid for support from the National Affordable Housing Programme once all the funds available in the current Local Authority New Build programme have been allocated. The Government are committed to reviewing the unfair Housing Revenue Account, including its implications for council housebuilding.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on savings (2010-11), under what budgetary headings the £780 million of savings allocated to his Department will be made.

Grant Shapps: As a result of decisions by the previous Administration, in June 2010 the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast public sector net borrowing in 2010-11 would hit £149 billion-contributing to their forecast £1.3 trillion of public debt by 2014. To help reduce the public debt, the Department for Communities and Local Government will make savings of £780 million in 2010-11, from the following budget lines.
	
		
			  Programmes 2010-11  Description  Savings (£000) 
			  Cutting waste - CLG, Quangos and lower priority programmes  90,421 
			
			 Running costs - CLG Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 26,954 
			 Running costs - Regional Development Agencies Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 17,000 
			
			  Running costs - Quangos   
			 PINS Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 6,000 
			 Thames Gateway - Direct Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets-UDC contingency 500 
			 Thames Gateway - London UDC Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 600 
			 Thames Gateway - Thurrock UDC Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 600 
			 National Tenant Voice Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 79 
			 Building Research Advisory Committee Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 2 
			 National Housing and Planning Advice Unit Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 215 
			 Tenant Services Authority Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 2,835 
			 Homes and Communities Agency Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 8,831 
			 Infrastructure Planning Commission Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 735 
			 West Northants Development Corporation Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 1,000 
			 Community Development Foundation Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 167 
			 Leasehold Advisory Service Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 158 
			 FireBuy Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 137 
			 Residential Property Tribunal Service Efficiency Savings from 2010-11 budgets 1,187 
			
			  Lower priority programmes   
			 Fire - New Dimensions Programme Procurement Saving 5,000 
			 Crosscutting Cohesion and Extremism Projects Unallocated funding 3,100 
			 Thames Gateway Unallocated funding 500 
			 Cohesion and Faith Programme (non LG element) Unallocated funding 3,235 
			 Prevent Programme (non ABG element) Unallocated funding 6,586 
			 Unallocated funding Unallocated funding 5,000 
			
			  Regional Development Agencies  186,000 
			
			 Programme Costs - Regional Development Agencies Savings in line with plans to restructure regional tier 186,000 
			
			  Housing Programmes  150,000 
			
			 National Affordable Housing Programme Funding announced but not yet allocated 100,000 
			 Kickstart Funding announced but not yet allocated 50,000 
			
			  Grants to Local Government  353,587 
			
			  Area Based Grant   
			 Supporting People - Administration Element Funding allocated 30,000 
			 -Working Neighbourhood Fund Funding allocated 45,000 
			 Local Enterprise Growth Initiative Funding allocated 17,500 
			 Prevent Funding allocated 7,000 
			 Cohesion Funding allocated 4,000 
			  Non-Area Based Grant Programmes   
			 Housing Market Renewal Funding allocated 50,000 
			 - Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant Funding announced but not yet allocated 30,000 
			 Housing and Planning Delivery Grant Funding announced but not yet allocated 146,000 
			 - Connecting Communities Funding announced but not yet allocated 19,087 
			 Other Cohesion Funding Funding announced but not yet allocated 5,000 
			
			  Totals Savings  780,008

Departmental Sponsorship

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what costs his Department incurred in connection with its sponsorship of the  (a) Environmental Innovation in Waste Collection Achievement of the Year award and  (b) Reducing Health Inequalities Achievement of the Year award at the Municipal Journal Awards 2010 in respect of (i) sponsorship, (ii) publicity and (iii) costs incurred in (A) travel, (B) accommodation and (C) subsistence payments for Ministers, staff and guests of his Department at the awards ceremony.

Bob Neill: The Environmental Innovation in Waste Collection Achievement of the Year award was a commitment of the previous Government and was jointly sponsored with DEFRA. The only charge to the Department was £11,744.13 including VAT which was paid to the Hemming Group Ltd. The Department incurred no travel, accommodation or subsistence for Ministers staff or guests. The judging of the awards and the criteria used do not reflect the priorities of the new Government.

Departmental Temporary Employment

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many temporary staff are employed by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Bob Neill: Communities and Local Government has recently contributed to a cross-Government work force management information collection exercise, details of which can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100618-non-payroll.aspx
	This provides a comprehensive summary of staffing data, including contingent work force information, for the Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Housing

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the average annual projected change in the number of households in England between 2006 and 2031 on the basis of  (a) the principal population and  (b) a zero net migration projection.

Andrew Stunell: 2006-based household projections under the principal population projection and the zero net migration population variant are published on the CLG website in Live Table 416 at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/householdestimates/livetables-households/
	The ONS have subsequently produced 2008-based population projections, which include lower projected levels of net international migration. CLG expect to publish 2008-based household projections by the end of this year.

Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) Kickstart and  (b) local authority new build projects which were placed on hold by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in their statement of 25 May 2010 have now reached legal completion and will be funded following the HCA's statement of 6 July 2010.

Grant Shapps: The Homes and Communities Agency's regional teams are currently undertaking evaluation of all projects funding that had been put on hold under Kickstart Round Two and local authority new build. Determination will be based on available resources with the aim to maximise affordable housing and achieve best value for money alongside local priorities, with completion of reviews as soon as possible.

Ordnance Survey

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce his decision on the Ordnance Survey's Public Task.

Bob Neill: The Government are continuing to think carefully about the Ordnance Survey's public task and will inform the House when a decision is made.

Private Rented Housing

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans his Department has for the development of  (a) local lettings agencies and  (b) the implementation of the recommendations of the Rugg review of private rented sector housing.

Andrew Stunell: On 10 June, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Local Government announced that the coalition Government did not intend to implement the regulatory proposals which emerged from the Rugg review. We continue to work on other issues highlighted by the review, including how local authorities can best engage with the private rented sector.

China

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the value for money of his Department's work in China.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State for International Development announced on 3 June that the bilateral development programme to China would end as soon as is practical. We want to work with them as partners, not as donors and recipients. My right hon. Friend will inform the House when any further decision is made regarding the closure of the programme.

Departmental Official Cars

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Ministers in his Department have used an allocated Ministerial car to travel between the Department and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010.

Alan Duncan: Neither the Department for International Development (DFID) nor the Government Cars Service (GCS) hold a central record of ministerial travel between DFID and the House of Commons. This information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. All travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code
	DFID has given notice to GCS that we are terminating our contracts for allocated ministerial cars and drivers for the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and myself and intend to use the new Government car pool for ministerial travel purposes as soon as this is in place.

Departmental Training

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost.

Alan Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson) on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 52W. The National School of Government is funded through its Core Learning Programme to deliver induction and other training to Ministers, and there is no separate charge to Departments.
	Along with Ministers from other Government Departments, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I attended the 'Induction Workshop for New Ministers' run by the National School of Government.

International Assistance: Health Services

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will extend his Department's maternal health strategy to include children for the purposes of achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department of International Development is developing a new Business Plan on Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health. It seeks to increase women's ability to choose when and how often they have a child and increase the survival of women and babies during pregnancy and childbirth. This is intended to have a significant positive impact on families, economies and societies as well the health and empowerment of women themselves.
	Nearly 40% of deaths of children under-five occur in the first month of life. Preventing unintended pregnancies and ensuring pregnancy and child birth is safe for all women make a vital contribution to child health.
	There is absolutely no intention to move away from our support to child health. This was demonstrated by the Prime Minister's recent commitments made at the G8 for women and children's health. There are numerous ways in which DFID demonstrates its commitment to child health. For example, we are increasing the number of children under-five who are immunized against childhood diseases, backed by £150 million over 10 years to the GAVI Alliance. We work to tackle under nutrition which contributes to one third of child deaths as well as one fifth of maternal deaths. We are increasing our support to the prevention and treatment of malaria. Some 90% of deaths to malaria are in children and malaria is the cause of one in five child deaths in Africa.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government plan to take to  (a) monitor and  (b) seek to reduce levels of anti-Semitism overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: Combating all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, remains an important part of the Government's human rights agenda. We condemn all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their race, faith or belief. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's overseas missions have a responsibility to monitor and raise human rights in their host countries and routinely raise our concerns with host governments. Where possible our embassies take action on individual cases where persecution or discrimination has occurred and lobby for changes in discriminatory practices and laws. The Government also support the All Party Parliamentary Group against anti-Semitism and their work on tackling anti-Semitism across Europe and encourages MEPs to get involved in tackling anti-Semitism in their own countries. We will continue to promote these issues within the EU, the UN, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and other multilateral fora.

British Nationality: Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens serving prison sentences in  (a) each other EU member state and  (b) non-EU states for convictions which may be unsafe; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: We do not centrally collate statistics in cases where there are allegations of fair trial concerns.
	If appropriate, we will consider approaching the local authorities if a prisoner is not treated in line with internationally-accepted standards. This may include if a trial does not follow internationally-recognised standards for a fair trial.

Central Asia

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a Minister next plans to make a visit to Central Asia.

David Lidington: I will visit Kazakhstan on 16-17 July for the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. While there I expect to have a bilateral discussions with ministerial colleagues from the region and beyond.

Embassies: Buildings

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 23-24W, on departmental public expenditure, which assets from his Department's overseas estates he intends to sell; and what estimate he has made of the likely contribution to the public purse of such a sale.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is planning to sell at least £25 million of assets in Financial Year 2010-11. We have identified 61 properties potentially surplus to requirements. The timing of any sales will suit operational requirements and in some cases will be dependent on a replacement property being secured either on lease terms or as purchases where this represents an overall capital gain and represents value for money.
	Of those 61, the following properties are currently either under offer or have been sold and are expected to generate £11.4 million in capital receipts. A schedule of properties sold or under offer is as following:
	
		
			  Schedule of properties sold or under offer 
			   Property 
			 Dar es Salaam House + four flats 
			 Ibadan Amenity property 
			 Nairobi House 
			 Colombo Office compound 
			 Kuala Lumpur House 
			 Seoul Three houses 
			 The Hague Two houses 
			 Brussels House 
			 Oporto Office 
			 Berlin House 
			 Dublin House 
			 Palma Office 
			 Portimao Office 
			 Copenhagen House

EU Law: Fines

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what total sum in financial corrections has been levied against the UK over the past 10 years for failing to implement European community legislation; what sum is currently outstanding; and what sum was subsequently written off.

David Lidington: Article 260 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union allows the European Court of Justice to fine member states for failing to implement European Community Legislation.
	No fines have ever been levied against the UK by way of Article 260 proceedings.

European External Action Service

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to bring forward proposals for the accountability of the European External Action Service to Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: As a service, the European External Actions Service (EEAS) will be accountable to both the European Parliament and the Member States in the Council in their roles as budgetary authority. In so far as it acts in the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) areas, the EEAS will be accountable, through the High Representative, to the Council. In so far as it acts in areas of EU policy, it will be accountable to the Commission (as a collegiate body), the European Parliament and the Council, in accordance with their respective competences and roles.
	Parliament is able to scrutinise Decisions taken in Council, some of which will mandate the High Representative, and hold the Government to account through, for example, ministerial evidence sessions and debates on the floor of the House.

Indonesia: Human Rights

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will support the request to the UN by the Republic of Vanuatu for the International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion on the legality of the agreement between the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands affecting the civil rights of the people of West Papua.

Jeremy Browne: The UK supports the territorial integrity of Indonesia. We do not support calls to ask the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on whether the New York Agreement was contrary to the UN Charter or the UN General Assembly Resolution 1514. The UN General Assembly took note of the "New York Agreement" between Indonesia and the Netherlands in Resolution 1752. This has been the policy of successive Governments and remains unchanged by the Government.
	We will continue to monitor the situation, raise human rights concerns at both official and ministerial level, encourage the Indonesian authorities to address these concerns, and advocate meaningful devolution, appropriate security measures and greater transparency in Papua.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of Qassam rockets being fired from Gaza into southern Israel; whether he has had discussions with the government of Israel on that matter since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK is aware of sporadic rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel and we have urged all militants to refrain from such attacks. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary underlined this in his statement of 2 June 2010.
	We are in regular dialogue with the Israeli Government particularly on matters pertaining to the peace process and we continue to urge all parties not to change any facts on the ground which might undermine the peace process. Both the Foreign Secretary and I reiterated this to the House on 6 July 2010.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations in respect of the reported Qassam rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel during June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are extremely concerned by sporadic rocket attacks against southern Israel. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement to the House on 2 June 2010 it is important for Hamas to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles.
	A number of issues related to the middle east are discussed on a monthly basis at the UN. The UK will continue to push for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 which aims to prevent the illicit trafficking of arms into Gaza. We will continue giving our full support to the UN Sanctions Committee in pursuing and investigating sanctions violations.

Nepal: Religious Freedom

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Government of Nepal on religious freedoms in that country under its new constitution; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: We have concerns about the impact of some of the draft proposals for inclusion in the new Nepalese constitution. It is important that the new constitution protects religious freedoms in a manner consistent with Nepal's international commitments. We already have a dialogue with the Government of Nepal and political parties where we stress the importance of ensuring that the new constitution is fully in line with the obligations of international human rights treaties, including on religious freedoms. We have also raised the matter with the chair of the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles Committee, responsible for drafting the relevant constitutional provisions religious freedom, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with the National Human Rights Commission, among others. We will continue this dialogue.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the Israeli government's willingness to grant consular access to British citizens detained on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House on 2 June 2010 that he was disappointed and dissatisfied with the Israeli response to the consular situation. He criticised their preparedness and the chaotic nature of the Israeli organisation. The Heads of EU missions in Israel have written jointly to the Israelis expressing their unhappiness at the consular provisions for a planned operation.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Israeli government that evidence be taken in public from British citizens who were aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in any inquiry into the matter.

Alistair Burt: The Israeli authorities have yet to set out the exact details on how the inquiry will be conducted. Broadly, the Commission's mandate states that it may request any individual or entity, whether Israeli (other than military personnel) or foreign, to testify before it or to provide information to it by other means, on matters which the Commission believes to be relevant to its proceedings.
	As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary underlined in his statement on 21 June 2010 it is important that the Commission provide a full, credible, impartial and independent investigation that the international community can respect.
	When I met with the returnees on 17 June I made it clear that we believe the inquiry should have access to the testimony of the British nationals involved. I have raised this issue with the Israeli ambassador.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has estimated the value of possessions confiscated from British citizens on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla by the Israeli authorities which have not yet been returned.

Alistair Burt: We have made no such estimate. We have set out clearly what we have and will be doing to assist those whose possessions are still missing, and made clear to the returnees what next steps they might consider.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Israel on the blockade on Gaza since the agreement to substitute the list of allowed items for the list of banned items.

Alistair Burt: We are in regular contact and dialogue with the Israeli Government, on a number of matters related to the Middle East Peace Process-this includes the current humanitarian situation in Gaza.
	We have made clear that the situation in Gaza is a tragedy and unsustainable. Together with the EU and Quartet, we have called on Israel to ease restrictions on access and enable a return to economic normality. I therefore welcomed Israel's decision to move from a list of 120 permitted goods to a list of specific prohibited items. As I said to the House on 6 July 2010 the pressure that has been exerted on Israel in recent times by the EU, the UK, the US and the Quartet for a relaxation on the restrictions in Gaza has had an effect.
	It is now imperative that all parties work together urgently to deliver real change on the ground.

Energy: Subsidies

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which official in his Department is responsible for global energy subsidy reform policy;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to implement the recommendations of the Joint Report of the International Energy Authority, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank on implementation of the G20 decision to reform energy subsidies.

Justine Greening: At the G20 summit in Pittsburgh Leaders asked a number of international organisations to provide a joint report including analysis of the scope of energy subsidies and suggestions for the implementation of their commitment to phase out and rationalise inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, while providing targeted support for the poorest.
	At the recent G20 summit in Toronto Leaders noted with appreciation the joint report provided by the international organisations. They also encouraged continued and full implementation of country-specific strategies to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption, taking into account vulnerable groups and their development needs.
	Work by HM Treasury on global energy subsidies is led from within its International and Finance Directorate. Tom Scholar, the Second Permanent Secretary, is responsible for this directorate.

Gift Aid

Julian Huppert: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effects on  (a) charities and  (b) Exchequer revenue of allowing gift aid arrangements to apply in full to donations made by higher rate tax payers.

Justine Greening: HM Revenue and Customs estimate that £1,007 million in Gift Aid repayments and transitional relief were made to charities in 2009-10. Higher rate relief, available to donors who are higher rate income tax payers, on Gift Aid donations to charities totalled £310 million in 2009-10.
	Independent research commissioned by HMRC in 2009 suggested that approximately 80% of all higher rate relief available on donations is claimed.

Office for Budget Responsibility: Public Appointments

David Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who will undertake the responsibilities for the Office of Budget Responsibility discharged by Sir Alan Budd until a successor is appointed; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: Sir Alan Budd is stepping down as chair of the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) when his contract expires on 13 August 2010. Geoffrey Dicks and Graham Parker will continue to serve as interim members of the Budget Responsibility Committee until a permanent chair of the OBR has been appointed and they will be discharging the OBR's responsibilities.

Pregnant Women: Grants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effects on  (a) expectant mothers and  (b) the welfare of newborn children of the abolition of the health in pregnancy grant.

Justine Greening: The Health in Pregnancy Grant will be available to all pregnant women until 1 January 2011 and therefore women who were pregnant at the time of the Budget announcement will receive this payment.
	The Government's priority is to make sure that the measures they takes are fair. Therefore they have significantly increased the child element of child tax credits to ensure that the impact of the measures taken within the Emergency Budget will not have a measurable impact on child poverty rates within the next two years.

School Discipline

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to improve standards of discipline in schools.

Nick Gibb: It is this Government's intention to give heads and teachers the powers they need to ensure discipline in the classroom and promote good behaviour. In a statement to the House on 7 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 11-12WS, I announced that we will take steps to strengthen teachers' powers to search pupils; issue shorter and clearer guidance on the use of force; and remove the requirement to give 24 hours written notice when giving pupils detentions. We will also give teachers the strongest possible protection from false accusations.

Free Schools

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many proposals for free schools his Department has received from groups in  (a) Weaver Vale constituency,  (b) the Halton Borough Council area and  (c) the Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority area.

Nick Gibb: As of 7 July the Department for Education had not received any proposals to establish free schools from groups in the Weaver Vale constituency, Halton borough council area or in the Cheshire west and Chester unitary authority area. I understand that the New Schools Network has received several hundred inquiries of which 38 have already let to formal proposals.

Academies Bill

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on the provisions of the Academies Bill.

Nick Gibb: We have received a number of representations relating to the provisions contained within the Academies Bill. These have included teacher representative organisations, the Special Education Consortium, the Church of England and the Catholic Education Service.
	Alongside these representations we have also had approaches from individual Peers and members of this House.

ContactPoint

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education From what  (a) local and  (b) national data sources information was collected for the ContactPoint database.

Tim Loughton: The basic information on ContactPoint was drawn from a number of national sources, including the General Register Office, the Department for Education's Schools Census, the child benefit database and the NHS Personal Demographics Service. In addition local authorities and national partners had begun to add information from a range of local sources, including social care systems.

Academies: Food

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that academy schools meet the same requirements as other schools in respect of the  (a) provision of school meals and other food in schools and  (b) teaching about food and nutrition.

Nick Gibb: The freedom and autonomy enjoyed by Academies is crucial to enabling them to drive up standards.
	We believe that Academies should have the freedom to respond to parental demand and provide a high standard of food and an appropriate curriculum that best meets the needs of their pupils. We will require Academies to provide free school meals for pupils who are entitled to them in the same way as for maintained schools.

Care Proceedings

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service on the provision of guardians in care proceedings in each of the last five years; and what proportion of its budget this represents in each such year.

Tim Loughton: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service's (CAFCASS's) funded expenditure for each year was:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2009-10 132.449 
			 2008-09 120.627 
			 2007-08 108.550 
			 2006-07 106.087 
			 2005-06 98.613 
		
	
	These figures comprise CAFCASS's grant in aid funding from the Department for Education and additional funding from the Department for specific activities. In this spending review period (2008-11), this additional funding has been for Contact Point and Family Contact Services.
	CAFCASS's allocated programme resource budget for 2010-11 is £138.2 million (including a one-off allocation of £10 million for service improvement). This excludes additional funding from the Department for specific activities.
	How CAFCASS spend their allocated budget each year is an operational matter for CAFCASS. The chief executive of CAFCASS, Anthony Douglas, will respond by letter to the hon. Member and a copy of his response will be placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Anthony Douglas, dated July 2010:
	I am writing to you in response to Parliamentary Question that you tabled recently:
	PQ005770: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was spent by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service on the provision of guardians in care proceedings in each of the last five years; and what proportion of its budget this represents in each such year.
	Cafcass does not collect specific figures relating to how much is spent on the provisions of guardians in care proceedings. Cafcass practitioners work in both public and private law proceedings. Cafcass also utilises the services of approximately 300 self employed contractors, most of which, work as children's guardians in care cases.
	Please note, there has been a significant increase in the past 18 months in care applications by local authorities and the total expenditure of Cafcass has also increased over the last 5 years, this is reflected in the table below.
	
		
			   Public law care requests  Total expenditure of Cafcass (£ million) 
			 2009/10 8,684 132.449 
			 2008/09 6,496 120.627 
			 2007/08 6,241 108.550 
			 2006/07 6,786 106.087 
			 2005/06 6,613 98.613

Pupils: Heart Diseases

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many incidents of sudden cardiac arrest involving pupils on school property there were in each of the last five years; and how many such incidents resulted in death.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not collect this data.

Science: GCE A-level

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to encourage an increase in the number of students studying scientific subjects at A Level.

Nick Gibb: The Government recognise that more needs to be done to inspire greater numbers of young people to study science subjects at A level. The quality of teaching in schools will be a key factor in this and we have already made it clear we will seek to attract more science and maths graduates into teaching. We will also be looking at what more can be done to support this in our pursuit of a fairer education system including reform of curriculum and qualifications.

Young People: Bradford

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his latest estimate is of the funding his Department will provide for Bradford's MyPlace project, Culture Fusion over the lifetime of the project; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Bradford Myplace project was awarded a grant of £5,000,000 by BIG on behalf of the then Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in March 2009. The Department for Education (DFE) has not yet made a decision on the future of Myplace funding. However, the Government are committed to a full comprehensive spending review in the autumn and DFE Ministers are currently considering their spending priorities.

Youth Services: Bristol

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what representations his Department has received from the National Lottery on grants to the My Place project in Bristol for the purchase and refurbishment of a building;
	(2)  when he plans to decide on the approval of funding for the My Place project in Bristol.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has not yet made a decision on My Place funding. The Big Lottery Fund have therefore deferred their confirmation of in-principle My Place grants until a decision is made. The Government are committed to a full comprehensive spending review in the autumn and Ministers will shortly be considering their spending priorities.

Annual Reports

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to his Department and its non-departmental public bodies was of printing annual reports in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: Annual reports and accounts, like all House of Commons papers, are produced and published according to long-established and sophisticated parliamentary procedures, with adherence to strict rules regarding the laying and subsequent publication of the completed document. The printing cost of the annual reports for MoJ HQ and its executive agencies are shown in the following table .
	HM Treasury cancelled the mandatory round of full Spring Departmental Report publication for 2010. With an advertising and marketing freeze in place, the printing of the department's annual reports has been put on hold.
	
		
			  Total printing costs per year 
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Ministry of Justice 7,925 7,430 0 
			 Her Majesty's Court Service 5,492 11,253 0 
			 Tribunals Service 7,320 7,985 0 
			 Office of the Public Guardian 6,565 n/a 0 
			 National Offender Management Service 9,835 8,129 0 
			 n/a = not applicable, print in-house, not able to identify specific recharge 
		
	
	Ministry of Justice does not centrally collect information on the cost of all annual reports published by all non-departmental bodies and it could be given only at disproportionate cost. This would involve contacting a large number of agencies associated with the department. Retrieving of the data would involve searching their individual records.

Departmental Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many buildings his Department occupies in  (a) London and  (b) the UK.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) records indicate that it has a total of 2,090 occupations within properties in the United Kingdom. Of these 278 are in London. The MoJ estate includes ownership and use of (or shared use of) a range of buildings, including prisons, approved premises, probation offices (both administrative and operational), Crown, county and magistrates' courts.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

First Offenders: Custodial Treatment

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) convicted of first offences and  (b) given a custodial sentence of six months or less for a first offence in each year since 2005.

Crispin Blunt: Figures for the total number of people who were convicted of their first offence (including indictable, triable-either-way and summary offences) and given a custodial sentence of six months or less for a first offence in each year since 2005 are presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of people convicted in England and Wales courts for their first offence and sentenced to immediate custody of six months or less for their first offence 
			   Number of people who were convicted for their first offences  Number of people who were given a custodial sentence of six months or less for their first offence 
			 2005 102,439 3,310 
			 2006 100,208 2,922 
			 2007 98,065 3,054 
			 2008 91,935 2,987 
		
	
	Other information on trends in sentencing can be found in "Sentencing Statistics 2008" which was published on 28 January 2010 and can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
	The figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Departmental Directors

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes the Government's lead non-executive director plans to make to the enhanced role of non-executive directors on departmental boards; and on what statutory basis.

Francis Maude: The role of non-executive directors on departmental boards is set out in the enhanced departmental boards protocol, which has been published on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100630-browne/protocol.aspx
	Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. There is no statutory basis for this role.

OGC Buying Solutions: Official Hospitality

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what costs OGC Buying Solutions incurred in  (a) sponsoring the procurement covered at the local Government Chronicle Awards 2010,  (b) providing publicity for such sponsorship and  (c) providing travel, accommodation or subsistence payments to persons attending the awards ceremony.

Francis Maude: This event was held under the last government. The costs incurred by Buying Solutions for sponsorship of the Local Government Chronicle Awards were £21,000; publicity was included in this overall cost.
	Travel, accommodation and subsistence payments to persons attending the awards ceremony amounted to £722.69.
	Buying Solutions is now subject to the same marketing and advertising freeze as the rest of Whitehall and no new sponsorship contracts will be signed this year.